One Day in December by Josie Silver was my Book of the Month pick for December. It was definitely a solid choice to end the year off with. After a rough run with Ghosted (see my review here), I wasn’t too keen on another romance novel. Luckily for me, it was my little sister’s turn to pick.
*** Me and my little sister are in our own private book club. We are both BOTM members and we take turns choosing books. If we don’t agree, whoever’s month it is has the final say. We live across the country from each other and books are our fun way of keeping in touch***
No Spoilers
I hate reviewing books like One Day in December. It’s very difficult to want to talk about every detail of a book and simultaneously not want to ruin it for anyone else. This review won’t be very detailed, but trust me when I say One Day in December is worth a read.
The Gist
Josie Silver did an amazing job of ripping tiny pieces of my heart out over and over again. The book opens with a 21-year-old Laurie falling hopelessly in love when she locks eyes with a stranger, who is sitting at a bus stop. Laurie is stuck in a dead-end job she hates and the best thing in her life is her roommate/best friend Sarah. Armed with nothing more than a description, Sarah and Laurie spend an entire year searching for ‘Bus Boy’ with no luck. The wait for Bus Boy’s reappearance is a seemingly hopeless one.
Laurie can’t let go of the encounter or convince herself that it wasn’t real. Her sadness over the missed opportunity becomes outright heartbreak when Bus Boy shows up at her Christmas party, as Sarah’s new boyfriend. Laurie has to make a split second decision to either tell Sarah that the Jack she’s been bragging for the past month is Bus Boy or to remain silent forever. The choice is an impossible one.
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Time Flies
Josie Silver weaves an amazing story through the thoughts of Laurie and Jack. The point of view switches between the two of them giving readers an intimate look at their feelings, motivations, and choices. It took me less than 12 hrs to read this entire book. The way the chapters are written and the way time passes throughout the story makes it easy to get stuck in it. We have the pleasure of watching ten years unfold between Laurie, Sarah, and Jack without feeling rushed.
The emotions are palpable. I found myself tearing up with Laurie and outright crying with Jack. Reading One Day in December will really make you question yourself. I left the book feeling satisfied with the outcome but wondering what I would have done in the same situation.
Just Read It
My final thoughts on Josie Silver‘s One Day in December is just read it. Grab a copy, let your heart break and mend and break again, and then come back and let me know what you thought. I, for one, would love to see Laurie, Sarah, and Jack splayed across the big screen one day. I’d bet good money that it would be a tearjerker to rival Me Before You and The Notebook.